Key Takeaways
- Queen Elizabeth II owned a very famous jewellery collection, including crowns, tiaras, necklaces, and brooches.
- Many jewels, like the Imperial State Crown and Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, were passed down through generations of the British royal family.
- Many pieces in the collection were gifts from world leaders and royal families, such as the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara and the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace.
- The Queen owned jewellery featuring diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and more gemstones.
- Younger royals wore famous pieces like the Cartier Halo Tiara and Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara.
- These jewels stand out for their beauty, royal history, craftsmanship, and cultural importance.
Introduction
This blog lists Queen Elizabeth II’s jewellery collection. It includes her famous crowns, tiaras, necklaces, and gems.
Queen Elizabeth II was an iconic figure of the last century. She was admired for her elegant fashion and beautiful jewellery collection. When she died on 8 September 2022, she left behind one of the world’s most famous collections of crowns, tiaras, necklaces, and brooches. Many of these items are now kept in the Royal Collection and cared for by the British royal family.
The jewellery collection of Queen Elizabeth II included many beautiful jewels, including tiaras, rare diamonds, and special gemstones from world leaders. These jewels showed many years of history, tradition, and skilled work. In this blog, we look at some of the Queen’s most iconic and treasured jewellery pieces.
Here’s an insider look at the breathtaking collection of the queen’s jewels.
1. THE QUEEN’S ENGAGEMENT RING
Did you know that the Queen’s three-carat round-diamond solitaire engagement ring was passed on by Princess Alice? When Prince Phillip expressed his desire to marry Queen Elizabeth, his mother gave him the prime diamond of her tiara for making the ring. Interestingly, the queen can be seen wearing her engagement ring almost everywhere to mark her love and respect for her spouse.
2. THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN
The imperial state crown was created for the coronation of King George VI in 1937. It’s embellished with 2,862 brilliant-cut diamonds, 11 emeralds, 17 sapphires and 269 pearls. In 1967, the queen wore the crown for the first time for her coronation.
As per some sources, the crown weighs almost 2.1lbs, and the queen had to shorten it an inch before wearing it. During one of her interviews, the queen admitted she cannot look down to read the speeches while wearing the same. She was last seen wearing the crown in the 2016 State Openings. However, since then the crown is carried and kept on a cushion beside her throne.
3. THE JAPANESE PEARL CHOKER
The Japanese Government commissioned this beautiful four-strand pearl choker encased with a pendant in the early 1980s. Apart from The Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge has also been seen wearing the choker.
4. QUEEN MARY’S FRINGE TIARA
In 1947, Queen Mary lent her tiara to her granddaughter (then Princess Elizabeth) for her wedding to Prince Philips. It’s a gorgeous piece of jewel made by the House of Conrad that features 47 diamond bars altogether. The Queen has been seen wearing the tiara on numerous occasions. Interestingly, she lent her tiara to her daughter, Princess Anne for her wedding and to her granddaughter Princess Beatrice.
5. QUEEN VICTORIA’S CROWN RUBY BROOCH AND THE CROWN RUBY NECKLACE
The crown ruby necklace was specially designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. Later Queen Elizabeth inherited the necklace and brooch after her mother’s death in 2002. She was seen wearing the necklace and brooch during her visit to Germany in 2015.
6. THE LOVER’S KNOT BROOCH
This classic bow-shaped diamond brooch is another piece of jewel that the queen inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary. Later, she was seen wearing the same during Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.
7. THE GRAND DUCHESS VLADIMIR TIARA
One of the queen’s most prized possessions, the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara has an amusing history. This gorgeous diamond and pearls tiara originally belonged to Grand Duchess Vladimir. However, during the Russian revolution, she got separated from it after fleeing St. Petersburg. Later, a member of the British Intelligence rescued the tiara and presented it before her. She passed on her tiara to her daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece. However, she sold it to Queen Mary after her mother died. The queen went on to inherit the tiara from her grandmother.
8. THREE-STRAND PEARL NECKLACE
This simple and elegant three strands pearl necklace was gifted to the queen by her beloved father, King George VI. She can be seen flaunting her necklace on several occasions as it complements every style.
9. BURMESE RUBIES
The people of Burma gifted rubies to the queen for her wedding in 1973. Later she requested the Garrad to create the exquisite Burmese Ruby Tiara encased with 94 rubies altogether.
Interesting read: Check out our blog on the most expensive diamonds in the world.
10. CROWN AMETHYST SUITE OF JEWELS
The Crown Amethyst Suite of Jewels is undeniably one of the most impressive jewellery sets in her possession. This elegant set of jewels consists of a diamond necklace, earrings and a brooch. The set was passed on from Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent to the queen.
11. CAMBRIDGE AND DELHI DURBAR PARURE AND QUEEN MARY’S GIRLS OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND TIARA
Cambridge and the Delhi Durbar Parure consist of a matching set of emerald necklaces and earrings. The Queen Mary’s Girls of Britain and Ireland tiara (also known as Granny’s tiara) is an antique passed on from Queen Mary. The tiara originally consisted of large pears but Queen Mary requested to refashion it into Cambridge Lover Knots’ Tiara.
12. THE VICTORIAN SUITE OF SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND SET
This exquisite set of sapphire diamond necklace and earrings was gifted to the queen by her beloved father, King George VI at her wedding. Later, she added a matching tiara and a bracelet to the prevailing diamond set.
13. THE CULLINAN V HEART DIAMOND BROOCH
This elegant diamond brooch was originally created for Queen Mary. It is encased with a heart-shaped diamond and surrounded by small round diamonds.
Interested to know more about different types of diamond shapes and cuts? Check out our detailed guide on diamond shapes and cuts.
14. THE ORIENTAL CIRCLET
The oriental circlet was inspired by the Indian jewellery on display at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Designed by Prince Albert, it was one of the prized possessions of the Queen’s mother. Later, the queen was seen wearing it on one of her trips to Malta in 2005. She paired it with a Mary’s Ruby Cluster Earrings and the Barring Ruby’s Necklace.
15. THE STATE DIADEM
The queen’s diamond diadem was originally created in 1820 for the coronation of King George IV. It consists of a magnificent combination of silver, gold, diamonds and pearls. The diadem is worn by queens and queen consorts to the State Openings of the Parliament.
16. THE FLOWER BASKET BROOCH
A charming multicolour diamond brooch featuring rubies and sapphires fashioned in a flower basket is one of the most impressive possessions of the queen. It was gifted to her by her parents at the birth of Prince Charles.
17. SCARAB BROOCH
It’s a beautiful combination of gold, rubies and diamond fashioned into an eye-catching brooch. The Scarab Brooch was gifted by Prince Philips to the queen.
18. QUEEN MARY’S BANDEAU TIARA
It was created from a brooch that Queen Mary received for her marriage by the county of Lincoln. Queen Elizabeth inherited the tiara after her grandmother’s death. Further, she lent it to Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, for her wedding.
19. THE NIZAM OF HYDERABAD NECKLACE
The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace was one of the royal jewels owned by Queen Elizabeth II. She received it in 1947 from Mir Osman Ali Khan, one of the richest men in the World. Created by Cartier, the necklace is known for its floral diamond style and royal beauty.
20. THE BRAZILIAN AQUAMARINE TIARA
In 1953, the people of Brazil gifted the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara to Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her coronation. The tiara was designed with large aquamarine gems and sparkling diamonds. The Queen later added more matching jewellery pieces to the collection, and she wore the set during royal events and tours.
21. THE GREVILLE EMERALD KOKOSHNIK TIARA
The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara first belonged to Dame Margaret Greville and was later passed to Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth II wore the tiara because of its unusual design and eye-catching emerald stones. It is still considered one of the most unique royal tiaras.
22. CARTIER HALO TIARA
Conclusion
Queen Elizabeth II’s jewellery collection was more than just a luxury collection. Her jewellery reflected generations of royal history and exceptional craftsmanship. Every piece, from iconic tiaras to rare diamonds and gemstones, held an important place in the history of the British monarchy.
Today, many of these iconic jewellery pieces are still recognised as some of the world’s most famous royal jewels, admired for their beauty, cultural importance, and timeless appeal.